Bellingham man, woman hurt in Skagit County crash

A Bellingham man faces a charge of vehicular assault for a suspected drugged driving crash in Skagit County.

Joshua Jacob Bruyn, 29, had been driving a 2005 Ford F-150 west in the 15900 block of Snee Oosh Road — on the Swinomish Reservation, northwest of La Conner — when the truck drifted onto the right shoulder and into a ditch around 4 a.m., according to the Washington State Patrol.

The pickup traveled about 180 feet after going off the road, rolled and came to rest facing north in the ditch. It was totaled.

A passenger in the truck, Ashley Kristen Paulson, 33, of Bellingham, suffered a broken ankle and facial injuries, said Trooper Mark Francis. She wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and received medical aid at a local hospital.

Bruyn had a seatbelt on. He felt soreness in his back and suffered minor injuries, Francis said. Troopers brought in a drug recognition expert who found signs that Bruyn was under the influence of drugs. Francis did not know, offhand, what drug was suspected.

Whatcom County court records show Bruyn was charged on Oct. 5 with bail jumping in a felony case where he’s accused of possessing meth and a stolen pickup.

On April 19, a sheriff’s deputy pulled over a Toyota pickup for defective rear lights and learned the license plate belonged to a Ford Explorer. The deputy took a closer look and found the fake plate had been clamped over the real one, according to charging papers.

The driver, Bruyn, claimed he bought the truck a few days earlier from a woman in Fairhaven for $300, and suspected it had been stolen because that was “too good of a deal,” according to charging papers. The truck’s value was estimated at $3,800. Officers also found meth in a pocket of Bruyn’s pants, according to the charges.

He did not show up to a court date Sept. 30, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Court records suggest the warrant remained active as of Wednesday.

Jail records state Bruyn was arrested Wednesday at Whidbey General Hospital. He was booked into Skagit County Jail on suspicion of vehicular assault.

This story was originally published November 25, 2015 at 3:04 PM with the headline "Bellingham man, woman hurt in Skagit County crash."